Quote from: TonyLBI'm probably the only one who thinks this, but ... shouldn't the encounter table be filled in as play progresses and the PCs gain enemies and complications?

Like, if you piss off a crime lord then you get "Crime Lord's agents come gunning for you" added to a previously empty space in the encounter table.  You let River and Simon Tam stay on your ship and you get a whole swath of encounter slots filled in, with all different crap.  Like that.

Agreed.  But you've gotta start somewhere.  And the pc tailored stuff can replace some of the other entries / take up a chart of its own.

P.S. TGA.  Nice work sir.  Exactly the kind of thing I was gunnning for.

I love Firefly, but my group doesn't want to play it :mad:

Quote from: StumpydaveAgreed.  But you've gotta start somewhere.

Isn't that what character-generation is for?

Quote from: TonyLBIsn't that what character-generation is for?

I know where you're coming from, Tony, but the occasional random event can help to avoid entering Thomas Hardy territory. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, you know?

And they can often generate future stories in and of themselves. EDIT: which reflects what you're saying, of course. But you gotta start somewhere!

- Q

Quote from: The Good AssyrianI would add some variation on distress calls.  For example, distress calls might be more commonly faked to draw the unwary the farther out you go.  For example:[good stuff]

Nice one! Saved me a job!

- Q

Quote from: QuireNice one! Saved me a job!

- Q

Glad to be of service!  

One encounter that I think might be cool would be random radio chatter.  Maybe from the same source over and over, or maybe just from a passing ship.  Wouldn't it be cool if you developed a subplot based on a sort of CB radio-inspired theme of ships talking to each other, passing along news, etc.  And it could get very lonely in space, and maybe some people just talk and talk, never even caring if there is anyone listening.  Maybe they tell their secrets to deep space...


TGA

TGA:  That's such an awesome concept!  I'm also thinking all the good and bad of chat-room relationships (to link it in to a sensibility more familiar to many players).  What a sad, plaintive story!

Quote from: QuireI know where you're coming from, Tony, but the occasional random event can help to avoid entering Thomas Hardy territory. Sometimes a cigar is just a cigar, you know?

Very true.  And I also like the idea that as you gain more life-connections you're not getting more encounters (i.e. you're not filling empty slots) you're having random encounters increasingly replaced by things you brought on yourself.

In fact, doesn't that just about sum up the entire story arc of Farscape?

Quote from: TonyLBTGA:  That's such an awesome concept!  I'm also thinking all the good and bad of chat-room relationships (to link it in to a sensibility more familiar to many players).  What a sad, plaintive story!

Yeah, I was showing my age there...  I still remember my dad really getting into the whole CB thing when I was a kid, so it has always stuck with me.

From my perspective there should be the potential that adventure could spin off of any "random encounter" that can be use to build on later.  I like the idea of plugging in rivals, allies, contacts, etc. into the random encounter matrix as you go along, but I think that if properly handled it would go the other way too.  Sometimes a random event can lead to a creative leap that leads the campaign in a new direction.

Then again, I have suffered through enough wandering monsters that had no connection to the main action of the game to twitch a little at the term "random encounter".  I think that the trick is for the GM and players to create meaning in the encounter for a larger picture.


TGA

I am going to liberally "steal" from this thread  stuff for my TRAVELLER campaign.
  SERENITY/"Firefly" is similiar enough for that ...it makes sense.

- E.W.C.

Quote from: The Good AssyrianThen again, I have suffered through enough wandering monsters that had no connection to the main action of the game to twitch a little at the term "random encounter".  I think that the trick is for the GM and players to create meaning in the encounter for a larger picture.

Absolutely. I've always considered 'random encounters' as a tool to spur the GM's imagination rather than as something to be used at the table. Typically, I've rolled for a few (usually three) 'randoms' prior to the game (if I thought such a thing might come up), and allowed myself some time to think about what they could do that would be cool - not necessarily map it out on paper, but just to have something to mind, if it ended up being required.

I do like 'random'...but not TOO random...

Still, that said, there are always those moments when you're caught utterly unprepared, and if you find yourself floundering, DO reach for the table, and try to spin it as hard as you can. If something DOES occurs to you that could link back to an earlier story node, you go for that, for preference.

I will refer back to my earlier comment, though...it is sometimes really cool to throw the players for a loop and genuinely have something happen that is utterly-random-and-nothing-to-do-with-them-until-now!

- Q

I obviously am bored at work today...

Table 1:  Random Encounters During Space Journey

Roll 1d10

1-2 Ship Encounter (roll on Table 2)
3-4 Transmission (roll on Table 3)
5-6 Unusual Sensor Contact (roll on Table 4)
7-8 Mechanical Failure On Board (roll on Table 5)
9 Medical Emergency On Board (roll on Table 6)
0 Personal Crisis On Board (roll on Table 7)


Table 2: Ship Encounter

1. Core Worlds/Trade Routes to Border Worlds

Roll 1d10

1-2 Short range shuttle
3-4 Small, private, vessel
5 Large, private, vessel
6 Small corporate vessel
7 Large corporate vessel
8 Small Alliance vessel
9 Large Alliance vessel
0 Yacht/Luxury Liner

2.Border Planets/Trade routes to the Rim

Roll 1d10

1 Short range shuttle
2-5 Small private vessel
6 Large private vessel
7 Large Corporate vessel
8 Small Alliance vessel
9 Large Alliance vessel

3.The Rim/Deep Space

Roll 1d10

1-6 Small private vessel
7 Large private vessel
8 Small Alliance vessel
9 Large Alliance vessel


Table 3: Transmission

Roll 1d10

1 Garbled - can't be made out.  Investigate further? (Reroll on Table 3)
2-5 Passing Conversation - a passing ship or nearby colony may exchange news, etc.
6-7 One-way Conversation - transmitting ship can't hear responses or is ignoring them.  Maybe they are just talking to the stars...
8-0 Mayday! Mayday! (roll on table 3a and then 3d)

Table 3a: Validity of Distress

1. Core Worlds/Trade Routes to Border Worlds

Roll 1d10

1-8 Valid emergency (roll on Table 3b)
9 Faked as lure (roll on Table 3c)
0 False alarm (they may think that losing the refrigeration units for the Champagne should count as an emergency...)

2.Border Planets/Trade routes to the Rim

Roll 1d10

1-6 Valid Emergency (roll on Table 3b)
7-9 Faked as lure (roll on Table 3c)
0 False alarm (they may think that passage off this rockball should count as an emergency...)

3.The Rim/Deep Space

Roll 1d10

1-5 Valid Emergency (roll on Table 3b)
6-9 Faked as lure (roll on Table 3c)
0 False alarm (it's already too late for these folks...)

Table 3b: Source (Valid Emergency)

1. Core Worlds/Trade Routes to Border Worlds

Roll 1d10

1 Lifeboat
2 Short range shuttle
3-4 Small, private, vessel
5 Large, private, vessel
6 Small corporate vessel
7 Large corporate vessel
8 Small Alliance vessel
9 Large Alliance vessel
0 Yacht/Luxury Liner

2.Border Planets/Trade routes to the Rim

Roll 1d10

1 Lifeboat
2 Short range shuttle
3-5 Small private vessel
6 Large private vessel
7 Large Corporate vessel
8 Small Alliance vessel
9 Large Alliance vessel
0 Colony

3.The Rim/Deep Space

Roll 1d10

1 Lifeboat
2-6 Small private vessel
7 Large private vessel
8 Small Alliance vessel
9 Large Alliance vessel
0 Colony

Table 3c: Source (Lure)

1. Core Worlds/Trade Routes to Border Worlds

Roll 1d10

1-4 Scavengers/wreckers
5-8 Small pirate ship
9 A small Alliance vessel (customs check!)
0 A large Alliance vessel (customs check!)

2.Border Planets/Trade routes to the Rim

Roll 1d10

1-3 Scavengers/wreckers
4-6 Small pirate ship
7-8 Large pirate ship
9 Small Reaver ship
0 A large Alliance vessel (customs check!)

3.The Rim/Deep Space

Roll 1d10

1-3 Scavengers/wreckers
4-6 Small pirate ship
7-8 Large pirate ship
9 Small Reaver ship
0 Large Reaver ship

Table 3d: Type of Emergency

1. Core Worlds/Trade Routes to Border Worlds

Roll 1d10

1-5 Failure of critical system (1-4 Life Support, 5-8 Propulsion, 9-0 Computer/Navigation)
6-7 Medical emergency (roll on Table 6)
8 Fugitive from justice on board
9 Hijacking attempt
0 Pirate attack

2.Border Planets/Trade routes to the Rim

Roll 1d10

1-4 Failure of critical system (1-4 Life Support, 5-8 Propulsion, 9-0 Computer/Navigation)
5-6 Medical emergency (roll on Table 6)
7 Fugitive from justice on board
8 Hijacking attempt
9 Pirate attack
0 Reaver attack

3.The Rim/Deep Space

Roll 1d10

1-4 Failure of critical system (1-4 Life Support, 5-8 Propulsion, 9-0 Computer/Navigation)
5 Medical emergency (roll on Table 6)
6 Hijacking attempt
7-8 Pirate attack
9-0 Reaver attack


Table 4: Unusual Sensor Contact

Roll 1d10

1-5 Wreckage (no survivors, but maybe there is something in the hold...)
6 Lifeboat (radio transmitter too weak to attract attention, so it is lucky you came along)
7-8 Jettisoned Cargo (could be valuable or junk)
9 Unexpected Space Anomaly (use your imagination!)
0 Hostiles! (roll on Table 3c for encounter type)


Table 5: Mechanical Failure on Board

Roll 1d10

1-6 Annoying (the air filtration system gives off a funky smell, the water tastes funny, there is a strange rattling noise in the engine compartment, a trivial piece of equipment gives up the ghost, computer glitches, etc.)
7-9 Worrisome (the compression coil starts to overheat, the CO2 level starts to climb, fire in the galley, etc.)
0 Critical (the coil blows, the navicomp goes offline, major fire, etc.)

Table 6: Medical Emergency On Board

Roll 1d10

1-7 Crewmember (determine randomly, NPCs preferred)
8-0 Passenger (determine randomly, NPCs preferred)

Roll 1d10

1-3 Minor injury
4 Life-threatening injury
5-6 Minor illness (non-contagious)
7 Life-threatening illness (non-contagious)
8-9 Minor illness (contagious)
0 Life-threatening illness (contagious)


Table 7: Personal Crisis On Board

Roll 1d10

1-7 Crewmember (determine randomly, NPCs preferred)
8-0 Passenger (determine randomly, NPCs preferred)

1-2 Bad news from home
3-5 Verbal confrontation with another crewmember or passenger
6 Physical confrontation with another crewmember or passenger
7-8 Complications of Love (or sex) with another crewmember or passenger
9 Minor manifestation of mania (people get strange when they're cooped up a while)
0 Major manitestation of mania (some people just snap under the strain)


TGA

TGA.  You are a star.  I spent the last two days trying to accomplish the above and whilst I knew there should be more happening in space than meeting other ships and engine trouble, I couldn't get the ideas out properly.

And then you dump this opus into the thread.

A scholar and a gentleman.  I salute you.

(I should be running Serentiy this fri.  I'll let you know how this goes down.)

Quote from: StumpydaveTGA.  You are a star.  I spent the last two days trying to accomplish the above and whilst I knew there should be more happening in space than meeting other ships and engine trouble, I couldn't get the ideas out properly.

And then you dump this opus into the thread.

A scholar and a gentleman.  I salute you.

(I should be running Serentiy this fri.  I'll let you know how this goes down.)

:bow: I am glad that you like it!  Please let us know how it works out for you.  i had this stuff rattling around in my head and had to get it out...


TGA